CIB Workshop Innovation Day
Innovation and Business Center was the host of the Workshop Innovation Day, workshop held under the auspices of the Vice-Rector for Cooperation of Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Prof. Dariusz Łydżba, and the Vice President for Development of KGHM Polska Miedź Adam Bugajczuk. The purpose of the workshop is to bring together representatives of the University and KGHM Polska Miedź, one of the most important companies in the Polish economy and the world’s leading producer of copper and silver.
The topic of the meeting was innovation of joint solutions of science and business of KGHM and WUST and the effects of cooperation between industry and science. The invited guests discussed research solutions in their respective industries. The workshop was held in WUST GEO-3EM building, a unique in Europe complex of laboratories for modern technologies related to environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources.
Participants also had the opportunity to learn about the scientific offer of Wrocław University of Science and Technology and the activities of the Center, which initiates and supports innovative projects for the economy. The program also included a tour of laboratories and presentations of inventions created by WUST specialists, including an exoskeleton and a demolition robot.
Workshop Innovation Day is an expression of the belief in the great importance of cooperation between science and business in today’s dynamic world. The scientific potential of Wroclaw University of Science and Technology and the economic potential of KGHM provide ample opportunities for cooperation and implementation of scientific and technological innovations.
Bridge Conference
Innovation and Business Center was the initiator of the Polish-German Cooperation Bridge – an integration of the scientific and economic communities of Poland and Germany in Krzyżowa, a symbolic place for Polish-German history. From 17th to 19th April 2023, the Conference will be attended by the representatives of the Fraunhofer Institutes Network, Europe’s largest organization dedicated to the implementation of scientific solutions in industry, under whose guidance the famous MP3 format, among others, was developed. The Polish side will be represented by the Łukasiewicz Research Network, an analogous organization bringing together dozens of Polish technological institutes.
The Conference program includes a presentation of the Polish and German networks, and joint projects by scientists from both countries, as well as four thematic macroblocks presenting technical achievements and innovations in selected fields:
- Energy
- Micro and nanoelectronics
- Healthcare and food
- Technologies in public security
At the Center, we want to go beyond Poland; we are of the opinion that the introduction of innovations is served by cooperation, including cross-border cooperation. The scientific and business environments of Poland and Germany can benefit from exchanging experiences and learn from each other.
Central European Technology Forum CETEF
Innovation and Business Center was co-organizing the Central European Technology Forum CETEF, that took place from 24th-25th October 2022.
The aim of the event was to create an international platform for discussion of European policies for the development of technologies critical to the success of the digital transformation. Forum participants included stakeholders representing 16 Central European countries including:
- Managers and managers of research and development centers as well as project managers responsible for digital transformation
- Managers responsible for the development of technological infrastructure for the industry and service sectors
- Companies Executives specializing in the design and integration of industrial automation and logistics systems
and representatives of institutions, ministries and government agencies responsible for allocating funds to support digital transformation in the European economy.
Key guests at the Forum include Marija Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, and Peter Droell, Director General of the European Commission’s DG Research and Innovation.
Forum participants shall discuss the effective use of EU funds intended to support the digital transformation and the improvement of key technology for the implementation of this process. The event shall also feature 21 thematic sessions presenting the technological achievements of Polish companies specializing in creating products and services related to digital transformation.
Smart Industry Revolution SIR
Innovation and Business Center co-organized the Smart Industry Revolution international conference on June 13-14, 2022. The event, gathering participants from the worlds of science and business (guests included representatives of the Future Industry Platform, the Office of Electronic Communications, the Polish Development Fund, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as major companies such as Hugo Boss and Pratt & Whitney), was dedicated to the introduction of modern technologies into business, with a particular focus on the so-called Industry 4.0 – the digital industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 is the term for a new management philosophy, postulating the use of artificial technology in production processes and the creation of information flow networks, both between people and machines. Thus, it is the unification of virtual reality and technical processes, through which people, machines and IT systems can automatically exchange information.
The conference was addressed primarily to small and medium-sized enterprises that are looking for answers on how they could benefit from the industrial revolution and what is worth adapting in their enterprise. In order to accomplish these tasks, they need to be aware of new technologies, but also have the means or resources to implement them.
The partners invited to cooperate have been supporting Polish companies in the search for new ways and tools for development for many years. The participation of government agencies made it possible to present what kind of support Polish companies wishing to climb to a higher level of innovation can count on.
Intelligent Development Forum FIR
Representatives of the Center for Intelligent Development took part in the Intelligent Development Forum organized in Uniejów on 6th-7th of June 2022, and Innovation and Business Centre became a partner of the event. The Forum was attended by more than 300 innovators working on groundbreaking scientific research and technological and social innovations. The meeting provided a space for discussions and one-on-one meetings with experts and practitioners in the development, commercialization and market implementation of cutting-edge scientific research and innovative technologies.
One of the speakers was Deputy Director of Innovation and Business Center, Prof. Damian Derlukiewicz, the topic of his speech was: Cooperation between Science and the Economy – studying user needs is a key activity in developing innovations. In turn, the Center’s Director Katarzyna Skowron gave an interview to “Puls Biznesu” magazine, introducing readers to the activities of the Center as a bridge between business and science, allowing to reduce the investment risk, thanks to the professionalism of the specialists working for the Center.
Topics at the Intelligent Development Forum included effective commercialization and implementation of innovations into business practice, digitalization and digital transformation, a healthy society, Industry 4.0, infrastructure investments of the future and social innovations for the development of the quality of human life.
X Congress of Chemical Technology TechemX
Innovation and Business Center participated in the organization of the 10th Congress of Chemical Technology, which took place on 11th -14th of April 2022 at the Congress Center of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology.
The Congress of Chemical Technology customarily brings together a wide range of representatives of the business and academic communities. So far, 9 Congresses have been organized – each at a different Technical University. The 10th Jubilee TeChem was held in a new format. After 25 years, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology was again the organizer. We want the Congress to keep up with the changing times and use modern forms of communication. Appreciating the role of the Congress in the integration of the scientific community with the social and business environment, we would like the Congress to be a place for cooperation and exchange of information between science and business.
The Congress is a platform for scientific discussions, cooperative arrangements, business and social meetings, and also aims to integrate the technological environment. The formula of the Congress makes it possible to present scientific achievements and their practical applications to audiences from the academic and business sectors. At the same time, it is an opportunity to present companies of the chemical industry.
The Congress included plenary lectures, as well as oral presentations and poster sessions in 15 thematic sections, including those on product technologies, biotechnology, electrochemistry, recycling and membrane technologies.
The Congress also featured special events such as an innovation incubator, a presentation of offerings in the area of research services between science and business, as well as appointments for cooperation in R&D, coordinated by a special smartphone app.
Hackathon
The next edition of the AI Hackathon, a competition in which participants program artificial intelligence to solve specific problems was held on 8th of March, 2022. This is a joint venture between the City of Wroclaw, the Municipal Water and Sewage Company, and Wroclaw University of Science and Technology. The event was coordinated by the Innovation and Business Center on behalf of WUST. This year, the Hackathon was held under the name “Urban water management with the support of artificial intelligence – opportunities, forecasts and optimization”. Participants, using the data provided by the City, had to design ways to use water more rationally and create forecasts of water demand in the future. They also had the support of mentors – experts in water management, artificial intelligence and urban planning. Prof. Tomasz Kajdanowicz, head of the Department of Artificial Intelligence was mentor and, at the same time, the jury representing WUST.
The competition’s prize was 15,000 PLN, and participants could upload their projects to a specially prepared web portal, and then present them on-site or on-line.
The competition winners were WUST employees from the Department of Computer Science and Telecommunications: Karol Gawron, Michał Pogoda, Michał Swędrowski and Norbert Ropiak. Their “Hydromancy Project” covered the issue of forecasting water demand, and the models they created predicted the value of water consumption, pressure and flow.
The Hackathon is a proof that innovation, especially in the area of artificial intelligence, is capable of solving real social problems related to access to resources and infrastructure. Innovation and Business Center co-organized this and similar events, pursuing a mission to connect innovation and cutting-edge technological solutions to the economy.
